


A Possible Reunion

by reapergrimm



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-16
Updated: 2019-03-16
Packaged: 2019-11-18 20:00:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18125813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reapergrimm/pseuds/reapergrimm
Summary: After a hectic graduation day, the Possible clan arranges a reunion at Slim Possible's Lazy C Ranch. However, this get-together is not just limited to the Possibles. Ann Possible's side of the family, the Credibles, are also in attendance.





	A Possible Reunion

A Possible Reunion

_The usual boilerplate disclaimer. I do not own Kim Possible. Kim Possible is the intellectual property of Bob Schooley, Mark McCorkle and the Walt Disney Corporation_

Kim awoke to the smell of someone cooking breakfast. It was fairly late in the morning, judging by the clock on the Kimmunicator. Almost noon, even. She couldn't believe she could be so exhausted after driving to Uncle Slim's in Montana. But then again, she'd never been the one to be in the driver's seat whenever the fam did road trips before. Kim had also had to deal with the constant geekfest going on between Ron and her Cousin Larry the whole time. Thank heaven that Monique agreed to come along. Kim might have gone nuts.

The trip was her father's idea. After the Lorwardian Invasion, he felt that they had to count their blessings. Appreciate the time they had with the ones they love. So he called up all the immediate family members he could and started planning a family reunion. As it turns out, the only family member who had both the space to host a large gathering and whose home wasn't damaged by the Invasion was Uncle Slim.

So it was agreed that everybody would head out to Montana for the get-together. Nana Possible flew in from Florida. Uncle Slim had already picked her up from the airport by the time Kim and the Middleton clans showed up. Kim, Ron, Larry and Monique in the Sloth. Her mom, dad, the Tweebs and Aunt June in the minivan. Kim's mother Ann felt that it shouldn't just be a Possible gathering. But that her side of the family, the Credibles should also be a part of the festivities. Hence Cousin Larry and Aunt June's tag-along.

But it wasn't just going to be Cousin Larry and Aunt June. Ann's brother Ben and his daughters Jen and Lynn were flying in from Los Diablos. Kim was looking forward to that. She never saw much of her older cousin Jen. At times, it felt like she was the only family member Kim could relate to. Jen was in the same business of saving people as Kim. But in a different way. Jen once described the difference between them as Kim being a “super spy” and that she was an “occult detective”. Jen's exploits always seemed a bit out there. But as Kim's missions grew more and more bizarre, she was open to anything by this point.

As Kim got to the main floor from upstairs and made her way into the kitchen, she saw Ron at the stove.

“Morning!” Kim said in a chipper tone as she stepped forward and gave Ron a small peck on the cheek. “What's the master chef up to today?” 

“Nothin' much, just cooking up some Huevos Rancheros for everybody. Or as I like to call them, Omelettes Ay-Caramba!” Ron said with his usual confidence.

“ooh-hoo! omelettes ay-caramba!” squeaked Rufus as he dashed over the counters, gathering ingredients for Ron.

“Yeah, made everything myself. You know the Ronster and his mad skills.”

“That I do. So, sleep well last night? I don't know why you insisted on sharing a room with Cousin Larry.” Kim asked.

“Nah. We were up most of the night. Talking about some new toy lineups, what new anime to watch this season. You know, cool stuff.”

“Your geek sessions in the Sloth weren't enough? You kept going into the night once we got here?” Kim asked incredulously.

“I prefer to call it 'a convention in the Ministry of Fun'” 

“Right.” Kim smiled.

“Ouch!” A short yelp from behind them snapped Kim and Ron out of their conversation. Joss sheepishly rose up from behind the half wall that separated the kitchen from the hallway. Standing behind her was Uncle Slim with a rolled up newspaper. 

“Now Joss. Don't go spying on your cousin and her boyfriend. It's not polite. Say you're sorry”

“Sorry, Kim. I was just... well...”

“Joss, that's a majorly disrespectful. How would you feel if someone spied on you?” Kim said.

Joss sighed. “Not good.”

“Thank you. And your apology is accepted.”

A muffled boom cascaded through the house. Uncle Slim closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Joss, why don't you head on over to the stables, see what your cousins Jim and Tim are up to? Hopefully, the horses haven't been stripped for parts.”

“Sure thing, pa.” Joss said as she dashed outside.

Uncle Slim sighed and walked inside the kitchen. He poured a glass of milk and grabbed a plate of Ron's Huevos Rancheros. As he sat down, a thought entered Kim's head.

“Where are my parents?”

“Well, your folks have headed off to the airport to pick up your Uncle Ben and his kids. They should be back soon.” Slim said just before he started eating. Just as things appeared to be settling down in the kitchen, Monique strode into the room in a huff.

“Girl, it's about time you woke up! I'm at my limit having to deal your Cousin Larry. I just managed to slip away from him after I roped him into talking with your Nana.”

“Man, all this negativity about my man Larry. People just need to chillax. He's good people.” Ron said as he focused on his skillet. 

“He may not mean any harm, but he's just SO boring! He just kept droning on about these old children's shows from the 80s and I don't know what he's talking about at ALL!” Monique protested.

“AHEM!” Uncle Slim coughed. All eyes in the kitchen fell on him. “Now, I know sometimes people can be annoying, but I've always believed that if there isn't anything nice to say about someone, don't say anything at all.”

A look of mild shame washed over Monique's face. “I'm sorry, Mr. Possible. Kim, can I speak to you outside on the porch for a bit?” 

As the two girls stepped outside, a smirk came over Kim's face. “Now you see why I begged you to come along. I'd go nutty if I had no-one to talk to with similar interests until my cousin Jen got here.”

“Oh, you didn't just beg. You used the Puppy Dog Pout on me. That's after you told me who Jen would be bringing with her.”

“I knew that there had to be a little something extra to convince you to come along. I mean, how long has it been since you've seen him?”

“Too long” Monique said almost dreamily. Then she snapped out of it. “But if he doesn't show up, you owe me, Possible. I'm not going to just be a smokescreen for your nerdy cousin for this reunion and have nothing to show for it.”

Almost on cue, a car horn honked as her parent's minivan pulled up to the ranch house. “Speak of the devil.” Kim quipped.

“Oh shoot!” Monique said with mild panic in her voice as she tried to straighten out her outfit.

Kim and Monique walked over to the minivan as her mother and father exited the car. But as the girls approached it became apparent that something was off. Only two extra bodies emerged from the car. A man just slightly older than her mother with short red hair, a neatly trimmed beard, square-rimmed glasses, blue eyes and slightly red skin with some loose, baggy clothes that were so much more casual than her parents. 

And a teenage girl just a year or two older than the Tweebs. She had pale skin, the same blue eyes, black hair tied back into a ponytail with bangs parted off to her right side. She dressed like she put more pride in her appearance than the man. A denim jacket over a purple blouse with a black miniskirt and stockings with ankle-high boots.

“Hey Kimmie-cub!” Her father exclaimed. “Look who we found at the airport!”

“Uncle Ben! Lynn! It's so good to see you both!” Kim moved in for a hug, but only her uncle reciprocated. Lynn just sidestepped her and kept looking at her handheld console as she walked towards the ranch house.

“Tch! Rude much?” Monique snarked.

“I'm sorry Kim. Lynn's been going through a phase lately. She's not exactly proud of our family lately.” Ben said somewhat sheepishly. “She's been wanting to be a part of a 'normal' family and ours is... well...”

“Well, she'll come around eventually. After all, family is what this little get-together is all about!” James said in his ever-enthusiastic tone.

“Even though a certain little-miss-someone could use a refresher in manners” Ann said under her breath.

“Where's Jen and Dave?” Kim inquired.

“Oh, Jenny had a last minute case that dropped into her lap. She had to do some preliminary investigations, but she said she'd be here eventually.” Ben said with pride.

“I'm still not sure you should have allowed that, Ben. How is she supposed to get here in time?” Ann asked in a concerned tone.

“Jenny's made some friends these past few years. They can get her here in flash.”

“I remember calling in favours to get to my missions. It's nice to see that Jen's starting to see some success with the agency.” Kim beamed. 

As the day rolled on, everyone began forming their own little groups. Joss and the Tweebs were over in the stables. Joss having been roped into Jim and Tim's fiddling with the robots. Ron and Larry were inside, having another “convention” over things they were looking at online. Lynn was just plain avoiding everyone, only staying in one place long enough to make sure her console was recharged. The adults had all gathered around the barbeque, where Uncle Slim was grilling some meat and corn for the dinner later. This left Monique and Kim alone at one of the picnic tables

“So have you figured out what you're going to do with your life now, Kim?”

“I'm actually going to stay the course. Even with all those college acceptance letters, none of them really called out to me. I figure I'll put more time in at Club Banana for the time being. But I think I'll go into childcare. Get some certification, and work at the daycare.”

“That is so you. You'll be great with kids.”

“Thanks! So... what are you going to do?”

Monique grew silent for a bit. “I'm thinking that I'll go into fashion. But the best schools aren't in Colorado. I'll... I'll have to move.”

“Oh...” Kim realized. The sounds of summer seemed to go on for ages around them while the two girls sat in quiet contemplation. 

“You know...” Kim started to say. “Just because you're going to move away doesn't mean we can't keep in touch. I mean, this is the information age. It's easier than ever to keep in touch with people.”

“Right...” Monique said.

“And my missions take me all over the place. And with me no longer having to be in school everyday, I could easily stop by and see you if I wound up close enough to where you are.”

“Right!”

“And I KNOW you'll go far in fashion. I mean, you're you! You've made my outfits from old rags you found lying in a chest!”

“Darn straight!”

Kim and Monique just laughed. Hearing each other out just made things easier sometimes. No, not sometimes. All the time.

Their merriment came to an end, however, when a bright light suddenly flashed in the backyard. Everybody stopped what they were doing and came over to see what was going on. Kim was getting ready to call Wade to see if he could make sense of what was happening in front of her. When all of a sudden, a strange creature flew out of the light.

It had a definitely humanoid upper body. Which was androgynous in appearance. Strong, magnificent feathered wings grew from the creature's back. While a graceful serpent's tail coiled around in the air that transitioned into the humanoid torso. Loose, billowy robes seemed to float in the air around it's arms and chest. It then produced a trumpet, and played out an elegant revelry.

On cue, a pair of human silhouettes formed in the light. As they emerged from the brilliance and everybody's eyes adjusted, their features could be seen. On the left was a young white man in his early 20s. He had loose, shoulder length brown hair with a petite goatee. He wore a brown leather jacket with a red superhero shirt underneath. The look was completed with a pair of blue jeans and combat boots. 

On the right was a young woman that was apparently ready for anything. She had fair skin with black hair also at shoulder length. She had striking blue eyes complimented with black lipstick and wore what appeared to be police grade riot gear under a sleeveless brown long coat with a mantle over her shoulders. Jen and Dave had arrived.

Ben's voice could be heard through the small crowd. “Told you she'd be here in a flash.”

The creature floating overhead said something. It was in a musical language that Kim was not familiar with. Jen said something in the same melodic tongue and gave a slight forward bow. The creature flew up and then back down, heading into the illumination. Once the light had completely engulfed it, the radiance began to fade away into nothing.

Jen closed her eyes and stretched her arms out above her head as to relieve some stiffness. “Oof. Sorry we're late. Had to look into some missing people in Los Diablos' south side.” She then popped open her eyes and saw everybody looking at her, dumbfounded.

“Oh, right! You guys haven't seen an Outsider before. Yeah, I made an impression on some people 'upstairs'” as Jen pointed upwards “on one of my cases, so now I've been granted the privilege of extraplanar travel. Comes in handy when you need to be somewhere in a hurry.”

Everybody assembled just stared onwards. Having trouble comprehending what they saw. Dave eventually locked eyes with Monique and gave her a wink. She turned her head away slightly in embarrassment before she composed herself.

“That was... um, some entrance.” She managed to get out.

“You should see us when we have a full team assembled and are ready to kick some butt. Almost like a scene out of a movie.” Dave said with a smile and wave of his hand.

Jen and Dave's arrival immediately became the talk of the reunion. Uncle Ben had his hands full with the other adults at the grill. All of them had questions about how his children were doing with his eldest daughter hanging out with extraplanar beings. Dave had easily slipped into being the center of attention amongst Ron, Larry, and Monique. Lynn, despite her efforts, had been pinned down by the Tweebs and Joss. It would seem the three of them would annoy the answers out of the poor girl if they had to.

Meanwhile, Jen and Kim were sitting at a picnic table. Jen had started to strip off her combat gear, and Kim was surprised by the amount weaponry Jen had concealed on her person. Nothing like the gadgets Wade had made her over the years. These seemed to be police, if not military, grade armaments. There were a pair of gauntlets that had hidden katar blades alongside grapnel lines and tasers built into them, even components to assemble a pair of bearded axes that combined into a greataxe. Which was rigged to electrocute whatever it struck.

Jen claimed that having iron and silver weapons were key in her line of work. Never knowing what you might encounter in an alley or out in the wild, it was best to keep her options open. Hence the pair of combat knives. There were various herbs, oils and trinkets to repel evil spirits. And to just to be on the safe side, a single pistol as an absolute last line of defense.

“That last one is a tad extreme, isn't it?” Kim said with mild shock in her voice.

“I rarely use it. Seeing a gun is enough for most human enemies to back off. And normal ammunition isn't reliable against the supernatural. We have to make our own custom shells to make them effective, and that takes time and money. Got to use them sparingly.”

“Wow. I don't suppose you'd mind sharing what you've been up to? Last time we saw each other, you'd only just started wearing a kevlar vest for your cases.”

“In a bit. I'd like to know what's up with you. Your plans. Your...” Jen cocked an eyebrow “love life, perhaps? How's dating your best friend going?”

“It feels natural. Like, we finally realized that what we had was so much more than friendship.”

“So... does that mean you're 'more' than just dating these days?”

Blushing, Kim grew tense and averted her gaze. “Well...”

“I'll take that as a yes.” Jen smiled. “You're lucky. A lot of boys your age are only after one thing from girls.”

Kim shook her head. She needed Jen to stop talking about 'that'. “Talking from experience, are you? How are you doing in the romance department? After me and Ron got together, I couldn't help but think that you and Dave would...”

“Get together? Nah. Dave's a great guy. He always has your back. It's just that we have...” Jen darted her eyes over to Dave as he chatted up Monique, winking and laughing while Monique tried to conceal a blush. “the same tastes in romantic partners.”

Turning around to look, something clicked in the back of Kim's mind. “Oh. OH!”

“Heh. It was a kind of a whammy for me too, believe it or not. It's almost like it changes your life forever.” Jen snarked. “Kind of like when you graduate high school. But of course, you couldn't just have any ol' graduation ceremony, could you, Little Miss I-Fought-Aliens-On-My-Grad-Day? Sounds like it was your toughest mission yet.”

“You know, normally I'd say it was 'no big', but it was big. Honestly, I'm surprised that it was Drakken that gave us the opening we needed to make the win. If they hadn't abducted him along with me, we could have been in seriously big trouble.”

“No doubt. It's funny how random elements can come into play when you least expect it. Keeps you sharp. Though I doubt we'll be seeing any more trouble from Drakken for awhile. If ever again.”

“What makes you say that?” Kim asked quizzically.

“Well, it all boils down to motivation. 'Why did Dr. Drakken seek to take over the world?' Why does anyone with that goal? Some people are motivated by an ideology. Even faith. They seek to better the world through world domination. Or just plain ego. While his ego was indeed a factor in his motives, it wasn't the underlying cause of his actions.”

“Where do you get that from?” Kim said as she raised an eyebrow.

“It's in all his past crimes. Including that awful rap for shampoo. I feel that they were all cries for respect. Drakken's smart. For sure. He just doesn't think things through. He's too 'in the moment' for his own good. He wanted to take over the world but I doubt he actually wanted to rule it. The act of taking it over was the goal. Not the means TO an end. No, Drakken wanted people to acknowledge and respect his intellect and skills. If he took over the world, nobody could deny his genius.”

Kim stared at Jen a little wide-eyed. Everything she just said made perfect sense. Going over all of Drakken's schemes, they were for revenge against people who wronged him. Or they were about proving his genius in some way. 

“I suspect he was bullied a lot growing up. And when people are bullied enough, they snap. Some sink into deep depression and withdraw from the world. Others lash out in any way they can. Few set such lofty goals for themselves after their breaking point. But Drakken did. And while he didn't accomplish the goal he set for himself, he completed his mission nonetheless. Dr. Drakken SAVED the world. He got accommodations. A medal ceremony at the UN. He's on the cover of magazines. And all that comes with the gratitude and respect from the people. Maybe not the supervillain community. But they're a bunch of kooks in my opinion.” 

Kim sat in contemplation. She knew for a fact that her father indeed bullied Drakken in college. And continued to be dismissive of him. “So... if Drakken's got the respect he's always wanted...”

“Then why would he continue being a supervillain?”

A small chuckle escaped Kim's mouth. “Guess time will tell. But I hope you're right.”

Jen smirked. “So do I. You know, I always wanted to take psychiatry? Never did have enough money for a good school. And these days... Well, the agency allows me to help people. Just in a different way. Also, the money is nice when clients can pay.”

A small feeling of discomfort swept over Kim's face. “I've never been comfortable accepting money for missions. I mean, I help people. Save their lives. Save the world! I don't think it's right to ask for money in exchange for that.”

“I hear you. I wasn't too cozy with the idea when I first started the agency. But... expenses kept popping up. Equipment. Travel. Heck, even keeping my family afloat at times. After a certain point, you need to see a profit in order to keep going.”

Kim was quiet for a moment. “I didn't know you were having trouble.”

“Well, I wasn't going to bother my underage cousin with it. Besides, I managed. And you will too. Whatever you do going forward with your life now that you're out of high school, money is going to be a part of it. You're lucky. You have two parents in a loving, stable marriage. Who both manage to work in well-paying jobs and somehow found a way to raise three kids. Look around you, Kim. Yours is the only family at this reunion who is still traditionally nuclear. I mean, Uncle Slim divorced his wife over work. Even if they still remain civil. Aunt June's a widow. And my mom...”

The mood suddenly dropped a little bit. Jen rarely talked about her mom. What little bits of information Kim did know about Uncle Ben's ex-wife came few and far between. But whenever she did became the subject of a conversation, it was never pleasant. People either talked about her with great sadness, bitter hate, or outright disappointment. All Kim knew was that before her aunt left her family, Uncle Ben was a respected government scientist. Now he worked as a forensic science technician in Los Diablos. The two were connected.

“Well, my mom is gone.” Jen said as she composed herself. “At any rate, Kim. You've only really needed to worry about money when you've wanted some new clothes or a new car you couldn't afford on your allowance. You'll find new challenges and responsibilities pop up as you start to develop your independence.” 

“I'm ready for any new responsibilities that come my way. You're talking to a girl who was head of the cheerleading squad, helped out with numerous other clubs, and mastered 16 different styles of kung fu. I can do anything.” Kim said with confidence, hoping to cheer up the conversation.

“Can you though?” Jen said darkly. Her expression was a stern one. “If you're truly ready, then you're ready to have your limits pushed. Not just physically. But morally, ethically, and emotionally.”

“Jeez. Drama much?” Kim tried to remain composed, but something about Jen's expression was unnerving her.

“Life isn't a game, Kim.” Jen was quiet for moment. “Last Halloween... Last Halloween I came to a realization. Something I didn't even think about for too long. I... can never take a person's life. But I am under no obligation to save the lives of my enemies.”

Rattled, Kim spoke. “...What?”

“... Last Halloween, my old enemy, the Prankster had his last 'performance'. It was the usual chaos. Explosions everywhere. People dying, running in panic. I had finally located him and gave chase. As I closed in, he grabbed this woman off the street and held her hostage with a toy gun that shot acid. He was so... smug. So sure that he'd be getting away again. But what I saw in that woman's eyes wasn't fear. Not even boredom. It was annoyance.”

Kim steeled herself. Something bad happened that night, and she wasn't sure she could handle what was coming next.

“We both thought she was just some poor young woman on her way to a costume party. But she wasn't IN costume. I saw it. Her eyes. They changed. I've seen those dark eyes before. The Prankster didn't have some poor, helpless girl in his grasp. He was trying to use a vampire as a shield. I could have warned him. But I didn't. It felt like... he finally got what was coming to him. And before he even knew it, he was missing the top half of his head. Needless to say, he was dead.”

Kim was stunned. Not only had her cousin that she respected allowed her enemy to die in such a horrific manner, but he died by the hands of a vampire. A vampire, of all things! The idea of such a creature just walking down the same street as you and being completely unaware of what kind of danger you could be in was very disturbing even to think about.

“Please tell me you at least dealt with her. Please?” Kim slightly begged.

Jen chuckled. “Sorry Kim. I did confront her. She realized that I allowed what happened in that alley to come to pass. She said that I was 'different' from most people for doing so. Even as I reached for something to stake her with, she just turned into mist and disappeared. I tracked her down for a couple of weeks, but things didn't add up. First off, I kept running into dead vampires that had been drained of their blood. Which was weird. But when I finally caught up to her, she was in a nightclub, seemingly dancing the night away. It wasn't until some guys escorted a girl out the back that I realized her game.” 

“She was there to prey upon those that themselves prey upon the... 'intoxicated'. I saw what those men were going to do to that poor girl in that back street. And I saw that vampire toy with them. Put the fear of the heavens into them. Get inside their heads and make them see things that weren't there. One ran out into the street and was run over. The others weren't so lucky.” Jen smirked as she said those last words.

“When she finally acknowledged my presence, she introduced herself as Tasha. As it turns out, Tasha has some bizarre mutation. For reasons not even she knows, she can subside on animal blood. Any other vampire I've come across who tries that winds up suffering malnutrition. She can also feed on other vampires. Which definitely puts her at the top of most food chains. And yet... she retains her morality. She kills, but she only kills those that deserve it. Those that prey on the helpless.”

Kim was having trouble taking this all in. A vampire, that fed on other vampires? That acted as some sort of back alley vigilante? And Jen wasn't DOING anything about it?

She started to raise her voice in anger and concern. “Why didn't you take advantage of your opening and deal with her? She's a killer! No better than that Prankster!” 

“No, Kim. She was so much better than the Prankster. The Prankster killed people because it amused him. Like it was some kind of game. Always pushing his crimes further. Testing how far people would hold back against him. Like a child, trying to figure out how he can get away with whatever he wants. Tasha. Tasha kills people that slip through the system. Or abuse it.”

“... Abuse it? I don't like where this is going.”

“I was almost physically sick myself when I found out. See, as I started to make friends with Tasha, we began to look into how the Prankster escaped for the last time. But unlike my previous investigations, I had a telepath with me this time. And she found out something horrible. The Prankster didn't escape. He was deliberately placed in a shoddy cell so he could leave at will.”

Kim went pale. “Why would someone DO that?!”

“That was the million dollar question. So we started putting the pressure on people as our investigation took us higher up in the prison system. As it turns out... there was an unofficial program in effect. Designed by the elite of the city. They called it the 'Urban Renewal Initiative'. Create a bunch of sub-par detention facilities that couldn't contain supercriminals. All so they could continue to prey upon the unfortunates of Los Diablos. It was just a fancy way for them to kill the poor.” 

Kim started to swoon. Her mind was reeling. This was such a colossal betrayal of the people. She just couldn't comprehend how someone could do something this horrid.

“Well, I couldn't let it stand. Nor could I really do anything about it myself. I knew about the corruption in the city. But I was powerless to do anything about it. These... 'people'... they knew where I lived. Where my family lives. But Tasha... She had nothing to fear. So we found out who all the guilty parties were. I showed my dad everything we had. He contacted Global Justice. And then Tasha painted the town red that night. With their leaders dead, the goons panicked and did what they could to save their own hides. Not that it did them much good. GJ came and picked up the stragglers. They've been in Los Diablos since New Year's. Gutting and reworking the city's management.”

“How is this not national news?! This is a travesty! All those people...”

“Would riot. In Los Diablos and all over America. Not to mention that a vampire was behind the killings. GJ likes their secrets. Such a colossal abuse of power. Not to mention the fact that there are blood drinking immortals are out there are things they very much like to keep in the dark. So it's been very hush-hush. Your little hacker could find all the info in GJ's systems. He'd just need to know what to look for.”

Kim was just silent. She felt sick. “All those people...”

“Deserved justice. But justice only works if the system works. And when it doesn't, people do not get closure. They become unable to move on from their trauma. When justice is denied, vengeance becomes the only alternative. Some things can't be forgiven. A price must be paid. Consequences must be felt. And if you think that it's wrong to take a life to avenge someone, ask yourself this: 'Can you forgive Hitler? Bin Laden?' Our military kills. As do policemen, when all other options become exhausted. By protesting the death of one serial killer, you diminish and devalue the lives of all his victims.”

“Jen... I'm not liking the person you're becoming. We have to be better than our enemies. We have to set an example. If we just become judge, jury and executioner, it's just a gradual decline until we're no better than the people we fight.”

A slight scowl formed on Jen's face. “The big difference between me and you, Kim, is that you fight supervillains. I fight _monsters_. Sometimes literal monsters straight out of myth and legend. Sometimes monsters in the form of men. I've faced zombies, demons, and people who took the term 'human resources' way too seriously. I've even gone up against the Bogeyman himself. Who is not evil in the way you and I understand it. But he's so far removed from mortal life that his views have become callous by default.”

“And that justifies this behaviour? They are bad, so I have to be prepared to make unethical choices? I'm sorry, Jen. But that's unacceptable. I think... you need to get this Tasha out of your life. She's a bad influence on you.”

“Kim, killing is a neutral act. WHY you kill is what matters. Just ask your boyfriend over there.” Jen pointed. Kim turned around to see Ron and Monique laughing at something Dave said in the group. “He killed those aliens because they were going to kill _you_ and mount your carcass as a trophy. If that's not reason to kill someone, to save someone you love, I don't know what is.”

The wheels inside Kim's mind began to turn as she slowly turned back around to face Jen. “That was very personal... I never posted that on the website.”

Smirking, Jen said. “I have my sources.”

Kim weighed the facts in her head. Ron and Wade would never betray her trust about something so close to home. Drakken had left to check on the walkers when Warhok and Warmonga broke free of his vines. The only one who witnessed Warhok's promise to Warmonga was...

“Shego! Shego told you what happened on Grad Day! Why were you talking to her?”

“We keep in contact every now and then. When me and Dave first started out, he received visions of trouble in Go City. We wound up working with Shego just after she left Team Go, but before she made a name for herself as a mercenary. But that is all I'll say on that case. It was a very... personal experience for all involved. And I won't betray those trusts.” Jen stated calmly.

“Jen, I'm very worried for you. Working with a vampire. Keeping in contact with someone like Shego. Even psychoanalyzing supervillains like Drakken... You used to be someone with better standards than that. It's like you're trying to justify what you're doing with your life now. If this keeps up, I'm afraid for your future.”

“It's not that bad, Kim. I mean, I've seen the afterlife. That Outsider that brought me here is from one of the Celestial Realms. There is a lot more to reality than the flawed laws of man. It's how I can keep fighting the good fight. Knowing that for all the evil that exists out there, there is good as well. Ready and willing to face the horror.” 

All of a sudden, Uncle Slim called out that the burgers and hot dogs were ready. Perking up, Jen said “Ooh! I'm starving. I haven't eaten since breakfast this morning. Sorry, Kim. We'll have to finish this after we eat.” 

Kim just stared off into space for awhile while she thought over everything she talked about with her cousin. 

“Kimmie-Cub! Come on down and rustle up some chow!” James called out as Slim and Nana gave him disapproving looks. 

As Kim began to lumber over to the BBQ, Ron runs up behind her. “Boo-yah! Time for some major feastage!” 

“woo! feastage!” Rufus squeaked as he popped out of Ron's pocket. As he passed her, Kim grabbed the end of his shirt. 

“KP?” Ron questioned as he began to turn around in confusion. But he was silenced by a great big hug. Kim sniffed a little as she buried her head on Ron's shoulder. Ron wrapped his arms around Kim and patted her head as everybody began lining up for dinner.

 

**Author's Notes**

**So this is my first foray into writing. Many thanks to Blackbird for allowing me to use his characters Jen Credible and Dave Seer for this. Also a shout-out to my editor, who has requested to be listed as “Diana”.**

**The idea behind this short story is that I realized that the surname “Credible” works exceptionally well for Ann Possible's maiden name. That, and Larry Credible = Very Credible. Given that Blackbird already introduced a character with this surname, it was just a little tweak to make her Kim's cousin. The premise was interesting to me, and it might be the start of it's own continuity.**


End file.
